If your premises are in a PZ or SZ (Protection or Surveillance Zone) a movement licence will be required for certain activities. The exact restrictions imposed will depend on the strain of AI confirmed and will be detailed within the declaration for each disease control zone.
Certain activities, including (but not limited to) movement of live poultry and other livestock, as well as on-farm slaughter will require a movement licence from APHA using the online service. The APHA withdrew its email application service in February 2022.
Licences are only available if the government is content that allowing the movement will not put disease control at risk and there are legal provisions to issue licences.
Movements of poultry and poultry products (including eggs) starting or ending in a PZ or SZ will need to be licensed by a veterinary inspector. Based on previous outbreaks in the UK, examples of when movement licences have been required include but are not limited to:
- Poultry for immediate slaughter at a designated slaughterhouse.
- Day-old chicks hatched from eggs produced in a PZ or SZ or from eggs which came into contact with such eggs.
- Hatching eggs to a designated hatchery (the hatchery must be operated in such a way that eggs from outside the PZ or SZ do not come into contact with eggs or day-old chicks from within the PZ or SZ).
- Eggs to a designated egg packing centre (they must be packed in disposable packaging or packaging that can be cleansed and disinfected).
- Eggs to an egg processing plant.
- Eggs or carcasses for disposal or diagnosis.
- On-farm slaughter of poultry within a PZ or SZ (including seasonal poultry).
- Spreading or moving poultry litter/manure/slurry originating in a PZ or SZ.
APHA requires at least five working days notice to issue licences so plan ahead and apply in good time to avoid issues. When disease control zones are first declared it may not be possible to give five days notice for urgent movements, in which case make sure you highlight the reason for urgency of the movement in your application.
Members should check with their processor or egg packer whether they are designated to receive live birds, meat, or eggs from farms within a PZ or SZ, and have their designation details to hand when applying for movement licences.
Unless your holding is under individual site-specific restrictions, feed can be brought onto the premises without a licence as long as the requirements for cleansing and disinfection within your Zone are met.
Slaughterhouses must apply to the Food Standards Agency for designation if they are located within disease control zones, or intend to receive birds from these zones. The application form can be requested from [email protected]
Register online
To apply online you will need to register and create sign in details. Register at: GOV.UK | Animal disease movement licensing
There will be two steps for verification.
Once registered, you can track the status of your application and receive your licence electronically.
The APHA can also be contacted by telephone on 03000 200 301 and choosing option 2.
Top tips for licence applications
- Register your birds with the APHA before applying for a licence. From 1 October 2024, it became a legal requirement for all bird keepers to register their flock.
- Apply for movement licences in good time
- Nominate a single designated contact in your business to liaise with APHA.
- Check the designation status of your processor/packer/hatchery.
- Ensure the licence application form is fully and accurately filled in.
- If you can, make sure you have a separate CPH number for your poultry unit if you run multiple enterprises.
- If you have multiple CPHs, make sure you include the CPH where the birds are kept in the licence application.
- Make sure your poultry is registered correctly with APHA (you can contact [email protected] to check).
- Make sure you have a contingency plan in case licences are delayed or rejected.
- If you are not currently in a PZ or SZ, familiarise yourself with licence requirements so you can plan ahead.
General licences
General licences allow a movement or activity that would otherwise be prohibited in England and Wales.
You need to check that you meet and comply with the conditions of the general licence. If you do so, you do not need to apply for a specific – you can rely on the general licence as providing authority for the movement or activity.
Licences should be printed out and carried by the driver.
View and download general licences at: GOV.UK | Bird flu (avian influenza) movement licences
General licences have been issued for the following activities (please note these are not valid for movements in or out of a Temporary Control Zone; individual movement licences will be required):
- Movement of samples for salmonella testing from premises in a Protection or Surveillance Zone.
- Movement of poultry carcases for disposal from premises in a Protection Zone in England, Wales or Scotland.
- Movement of table eggs into, within or out of a Protection or within or out of a Surveillance Zone in England or Scotland.
- These general licences allow eggs to be packed on reusable trays in England and Scotland subject to the cleansing and disinfection requirements laid out in the licence conditions.
- Movement of mammals (excluding dairy cows) from or to premises in the Protection or Surveillance Zone in England or Wales where poultry and other captive birds are kept.
- Please note that any mammals moved under this licence must have no access to and been kept separate from poultry and any other birds for a minimum of 21 days.
- Movement of poultry by-products and hatching eggs for disposal from premises in a Protection or Surveillance Zone.
- The Spreading on Premises or Movement of used Poultry Litter, Poultry Manure and Poultry Slurry Originating from Premises in a Protection Zone or a Surveillance Zone.
Specific movement licences
Unless covered by a general licence, poultry keepers will need to apply to the APHA for individual movement licences using the online portal: GOV.UK | Apply for a specific movement licence in a bird flu disease zone
Ensure you give the APHA as much notice as possible as it can take time to issue licences. The APHA is likely to receive high volumes of licence requests so contingency plans should be arranged in case there is any delay in licensing.
A specific licence is considered on a case-by-case basis.
You can apply for multiple specific licences which allow a number of similar movements/activities to take place over a certain period, subject to conditions, without having to apply for separate
licences for each movement/activity.
Licensing queries
If you have any licensing queries, or aren’t sure whether or not you need a licence, contact the APHA with your query by telephone on 03000 200 301 (choose option 2) or by emailing [email protected].
Biosecurity visit requirements
For some bird movements which require a license, a biosecurity visit is required of the premises where the birds are being moved to. There is an official form that must be completed by a Veterinary Inspector or Official Veterinarian undertaking the site visit.
The objectives of the biosecurity visit are to:
- assess separation from any other livestock, including poultry/captive birds
- assess the measures in place to reduce risk of wild birds entering poultry buildings
- assess the measures in place to reduce indirect contact between poultry and wild birds
- assess the equipment, structures and procedures for maintaining effective biosecurity of the premises (using evidence available on-site and from farm/company records if required)
- review compliance with biosecurity protocols where the destination premises is not empty
All parts of the premises intended to house poultry or be used for poultry husbandry purposes (e.g. bedding and feed storage) should be inspected.
Meshing requirements
During the assessment each building will be checked to ensure there are no gaps under doors or in the walls that are greater than 25mm. If gaps exist, they must be covered with suitable mesh or netting with a minimum gauge of 25mm by 25mm. This is to prevent ingress by wild birds.
The same rules apply to ventilation systems as this is a common route for wild bird ingress which provides the potential for disease incursion. All ventilation inlets and outlets should be covered to ensure no gap is greater than 25mm in diameter.
If it is not safe to visually inspect all the building or ventilation inlets and outlets then alternative evidence such as photographs should be provided by the site owner so that the vet can be confident in signing off the relevant sections of the required biosecurity visit form.
Your wellbeing
In these uncertain and often challenging times it is more important than ever to look after our own and others’ mental health.
If you or anyone you know are experiencing anxiety or stress then help and support is available nationally and regionally.
